Sugar-cane planter



Filed Dec. 20, 1923` 5 Sheets-Shet 2 WITNESSES A TTORNEYS July 3l, 1928.

W. KASSEBEER SUGAR yCANE PLANTER ,5 sheets-sheet s Filed Dec 20, 1923 /N VEN TUI? A TTORNE YS o o u o o o o o a dllllll lillllllll QNX wmvfssfs ff f July 3l, 1928.

W. KASSEBEER SUGAR l(mw: PLANTER v5 sheets-sheet 4 Fixed vec. zo, 1923 lilllllolfdxwlilll l \N WITNESSES Mila/m A UUR/VHS July 31, 1928.

w KASSE-:BEER

SUGAR CANE PLANTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 20, 1923 INVENTO? WKHSSEBEHR ATTORNEYS rai-@mea .hay ai,` 192s.

UJITED STATES PATENT 'oi-"Fics,

' a rWILLIAM KAssEBEER, or LIHUE, TERRITORY OFVHAWAII.

SUGAR-GANE PLANTER.

Application filed December 20, 1923. Serial No. 681,817.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a machine for planting sugar cane,

in which the machine will open a furrow, de-

posit short sections of cane stalks therein and close the `furrow behind the depositedpcane stalk to cover the same.

It is' a furtherxobject of the invention tok .constructa machine in such a manner that the cane stalks are turned into parallelism with the furrow before they are deposited therein.

It is a further object of the invention to provide plows for opening the furrow associated with means for covering the furrow after the sugar -cane has been deposited therein. l p

With the above and other obj ects in view, reference is had'to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a planter constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is aview in side elevation of the machine, said view being partly in section;

Figure 3 is a top `plan view ofthe machine;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View thereof; .f

, Figure 5 is a detail sectional view showing a portion of the cane feeding mechanism;

Figure 6 is a detailplan view of a section of the cane conveyoryand i Figure 7 is a view in rear elevation of the machine.

, Referring more particularly to the draw-V ings, the reference character 10 designates Vthe frame of the machine, and carried by the forwardend of the frame there is a clevis or the like 11 by means of which suitable draft means maybe attachedA to the machine.

The machine 10 is supported by an axle 12,

" and carried at each end of said axle 12 therev 1s a supporting` wheel 13.

As more clearly shown in kFigure 4, the frame comprises side members 14, the forward end .of each of which is inwardly bentL as at 15, and said ends are secured together as at 16. Connected to the rear end of each side member and projecting inwardly and forwardly thereof there is a brace 17, and said braces 17 are connected as at 18 to a longitudinallyy extending brace 19, which last mentioned bracecomprises two members 2O and 21.A

Connected tothe forward end of the frame y and extending rearwardly in parallelism with one of the'side frames, there is a brace 20k one one side of the machine and on the oppof site side of the machine there is a corresponding brace 21.

Mounted on top of the lside frames 14j there, is a platform 22, and said platform extends `forwardly of the machine, as shown at 23 in Figs. 3 and 4. Projecting vertically from the platform 22, on opposite sides of `the machine, there is a plurality of standards and the standards on each side of the machine support a table 26. The frame is supported from the axle 12 by means of clips or the like, 27, the said clips 27 being of invferted U-shape and passing around said axleat the central portion thereof, as more clearly shown in Fig. .4. Connected to each l.

of the side frames 14, near the `forward end thereof. there is a plate 28, and .secured to said plate 28 and extending rearwardly and downwardly there is a brace 29. Connected to each of the side frames 14, near the rear thereof, there is aplate 30, and extending forwardly and downwardly from each plate 30, there is a brace 31, it being understood that the brace 31 at its rear end is secured to the plate 30.

Securedvto each of the side frames 14 of a plow beam 34 to each of the plates. Each of the plow beams has on its forward end an upstanding lug 35, which is adapted to receive a bolt 36, which bolt forms the pivotal point ofthe plow beam. each ofthe plow beams, there is an auxiliary plow beam 37, said auxiliary plow beam 37 being also'secure'd to a plate 38which in rturn is secured, as at` to its respective plow beam. Each of the plates38 has a fort ward projection 40, which is'attached to itsv respective auxiliary plow beam 37 ,and depending from each of the plates 38 there is an extension 41 which serves the means forV mounting a colter wheel 42.

Carried by 'each of the yplow beams 34 and Secured to lll -ated means for elevating` the plows.

positioned behind its respective colter wheel 4t2, there is a plow 13, and carried by each of the plow beams 37 and positioned forwardly of its respective colter wheel d2, there is a plow dat. Trailing` each of the plows are mold boards and disposed rearwardly of said mold boards 45, there are covering elements 4G, which latter serve to close the furrow opened by its respective plow, by passing thereover.

is more clearly shown in Fig. l, it will be noted 'that'the bottom edge i7 of each of the mold boards is slightly above the bottom of the furrow, which is indicated by the reference character A, and this construction permits of the lower portion of the furrow being` closed, the upper portion thereof remaining open in order that irrigation of theplanted crop may be had. The covering elements 46,

, however, extend to the bottom of the furrow and serve to cover thereinto thefearth removed. therefrom` by means ofthe deeper allow. rlhe mold boards l5 are connected together by means of a transverselyextending arched brace e8 and a transversely extending brace 49. v

Secured to each of the side braces 20 and 2l', near their rear ends, and extending upwardly, are plates 50, andsuch plates 'to- `sg'ether with plates 59 carried by the side frames, form the support for a portion of the mechanism employed to elevate the plows and which will now be described.

Mounted in the plates 50 and 59 at each side of the machine, there is a shaft 51, and carried by each of the shafts 5l, there is a sheave`52. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 23, these sheaves are of the double type and have two grooves 53 and 54. Carried by each of the shafts 5l, there is a gear 55, and such gear 55 meshes with a gear 5G mounted on the shaft 57, and such shaft carries a hand wheel 58 by means of whiclrit is rotated. It is to be understood that this mechanism is duplicated on opposite sides of the machine in order that Aboth of the plows may be elevated, and when more than two rplows are employed7 there will be one of these mechanisms for elevating each of the plows employed.

Bv this construction it is apparent that as the hand wheels 58 are operated the plows will be elevated by reason of Athe shafts .52 being' rotated and taking' up on a chain 60, one end of which is attached, as at Gl, to the plow. In addition to the gear 56 operated by the hand wheel 5S, there is a circular rack member G2, with which a pivoted pawl 63. is

`adapted to engage to hold the plows elevated.

The foregoingA describes the hand operated mechanism for elevating the plows, and in addition thereto, there is mechanically operrlhis mechanically operated means comprises a sheaye mounted on eachside ofthe machine and forwardly of the first-mentioned sheaves 52, said sheaves being designated by the reference numeral Gli. The sheaves 64rare mounted on a sliding shaft 65, one end of which carriesV a clutch collar V6G engaged by a clutch lever G7 and by which the shaft is reciprocated in its mounting.

frs the depending levers move to their uppermost position, they engage a cam member 72, which moves them inwardly of the machine out of the path of travel of the projections 69 of the disks G8 and also prevents their moving to a position where the plows will again be lowered, unless this latter operation is carried out manually ,by the operator. l i v lt is to be understood. that as the depending` levers 70 are moved to their uppermost position and engaged by the cam member 72, they are prevented `from moving backwardly to lower the plows by means'of the dog` or pawl G3 engaging: thecircular rack 62,

as Vheretofore described, since this mechanism together with thehand wheel is operated even thoughthe plows are operated manually. Q

The reference numeral 8O designates a housingnof which there is vone atfeach side of the machine, and mounted in supports 8l there is a shaft 82, which shaft 82 carries a sprocket 83 around which ai conveyor 84 passes. Mounted at the'other end of the housing;- 80, there is a shaft 85 which carries a pulley 86 around which fthe conveyor 84 also, passes. Mounted on this shaft 85er;- teriorly of the housing 80, there is a gear S7 whichmeshes with, av gear SS. The gear 88 is carried by a shaft V89, and mounted on the shaft 89, there is one member 90 of a clutch, the other member 91 of the clutch being;` carried by a sprocket wheel 92, which is rotatably'mounted on the shaft S9, and passing'l around said sprocket wheel 92 t 1ere is a driving chain 93. This driving` chain 93 also passes around a sprocket Slet carried ,by the traction wheels or secured to the axles in such a manner as to drive the pulley 92 as the machine is moved along the ground.

It is to be understood that there is one conveyor at each side of the machine, and the forward 'end of yeach of the conveyor housings 80 is formed with a hopper 95, while the rear endY of the'housingr is adapted to discharge into the inclined chute 96, the lower end of which is positioned between the mold boards l5 and in advance of the coveringelements t6 hereto-fore mentioned.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will be noted that the conveyor comprises a plurality of link elements pivo'tally connected together, as

vat lOl, and each of said link elements has a plate 102 secured thereto, one end of which is downwardly curved, as at 103, Vandthe other end partially overlapping` the downwardly curvedend of the plate carried by the next adjacent pivoted member', as designated by the reference character 104 in Fig. 5. rihis portion 10% of the plates 102 is adapted to carry a slat or the like, 105. By this construction the slats are spaced with respect to one another to provide a recess or space 106 therebetween, which 'space or recess is adapted to receive a section of cane 107 to be planted. i

By this construction it is apparent that as the conveyors pass around the pulleys 80, the plates 102 are rocked or moved in such a manner that the sections of cane 10T are discharged from the conveyors.

ri'he reference character 1.10 designates a frame and carried by they frame there are two resilient fingers 111 and 112. rllhe resilient finger 111 is longer than the resilient linger 11,2,Y and by this construction, inasmuch as the lengths of cane 10T clear theV resilient finger 112 before they clear the resilient linger 111, such lengths of cane are turned in such a manner that their longitudinal axes will be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chuteto insure of the lengths of cane passing through lthe chute .in longitudinal relation thereto and lying longiv tudinally in the furrows provided therefor.

krilhis action is clearly shown in Fig. 8.

The device operates in the following inanner:

'ihe machine is moved through the'lield by a tractor or in any other manner, and in its movement through the field the plows serve to open the furrows. An operator stands on eachside ofthe machine on the portion ofthe platform, adjacent the hopper 95 and feeds the lengths of Vcane into the hopper, the cane being in bags or resting lon the tables' 26, as desired. One length of cane is placed in each of the spaces 106 of the conveyor, as is shown more clearly in Fig. 5, and the conveyor moves the lengths of cane rearwardly of the. machine until they are engaged by the fingers 111 and 112. As

`heretofore described, these lengths of cane are then turned until they occupy a position longitudinally of the chutes 96 down which they slide to the open furrows and are after wards covered over by the covering ele-y ments 46.

A machine constructed in accordance with the present invention not only facilitates the planting of cane iieids, but, at the same time, insures an evenly spaced relation of the lengths of cane and a proper positioning thereof in the opened furro'ws.

lli/hile in the present instance the machine is shown as planting two rows of cane at a single operation, it is obvious that any number of rows may be planted Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

in a machine for planting sugar cane, furrow opening means, a conveyor upon which lengths of sugar canestalks are adapted to be received in transverse relation thereto, a tiltable chute having a curved bottom at its lower end and straight Walls into which said conveyor discharges said lengths of cane stalks, said chute having a rearwardly turned horizontal lower end adapted to be draggedk in the base of the furrow, and resilient means contactingwith said conveyor located at the point of discharge of said conveyor and adapted to engage the cane stalks whereby said cane stalks are caused to assume a position in longitudinal relation to the chute in whichv position the cane stalks are deposited in the open furrow.

VILLIAM KASSEBEER. 

